When Sherry Simon arrived in Canada from India in December 2018, she knew that meeting people and building a network would help her adjust to her new country. While volunteering at the YMCA, Sherry noticed an ACCES flyer posted on one of the boards and decided to seek help with finding employment in Canada. Sherry was first impressed with the one-to-one attention she received from her Employment Consultant at ACCES. She derived confidence from the positive attitude of the ACCES staff and she learned quickly about desired skills and trends in the Canadian workforce. Through ACCES’s JSW program (Job Search Workshops), she gained insight on a variety of sectors in Canada, developed an effective resume, and honed her interviewing skills. Reflecting on that time, Sherry explains how she felt empowered by the people at ACCES and that she “always kept in touch and participated in any events she could.”
Sherry came to Canada with experience in the banking industry and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. Through the Women in Technology training, Sherry made excellent professional connections and developed her networking skills, she was able to brush up on her java coding skills (delivered in conjunction with Seneca College), business and workplace communication strategies, cybersecurity and was selected for a special training opportunity with Salesforce Canada. Sherry connected with the Salesforce trainer who was able to connect her directly to an opportunity with one of Salesforce’s Canadian partners, Stratus 360. To her credit, Sherry was able to put into practice many of the things she learned at ACCES and was able to showcase her skills and experience to successfully land the role.
Now, Sherry stays in touch with the Staff at ACCES and gives back to the program that has helped her so much by being a guest speaker. She continues to get support from ACCES in workplace communication and career development.
“The reason I have a job is because of ACCES and I would love to pay it forward. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet people who’re on the same journey as I was on. I learned from my peers and from the mentors we met at various networking/mentoring events. I was able to learn the art of networking, resume writing & interviewing, not to mention being able to brush up on my coding skills thanks to the partnership between ACCES & Seneca College.”
Sherry Simon
Business Analyst, Stratus 360
ACCES Women in Technology program alum